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Team Ireland approach essential for Tourism promotion - Flanagan

Sinn Féin Vice-Chair of the Assembly Enterprise Committee,
Phil Flanagan MLA has called for a ‘Team Ireland’ focus on tourism promotion.

Mr Flanagan said:

"This morning, the Enterprise Committee (ETI) heard
evidence from both Tourism Ireland and NITB on efforts both are making to
promote tourism across the island.

"However, despite efforts to present a unified voice on
promotion of the tourism industry it was clear that there is still a disjoint in
their approach.The potential benefits
envisaged through the establishment of a single body to promote tourism overseas
have largely been missed.

"I pressed the officials hard to find out why NITB has
not targeted the opportunities presented by the Irish government sponsored
event ‘The Gathering 2013’ which is directed at attracting as many of the 70
million people around the world who claim Irish ancestry to return to Ireland
next year.

"NITB attempted to deflect from this by claiming that
there are already other exciting events planned for the North in 2013. However,
the only events they could reference were the World Police & Fire Games in
Belfast and the City of Culture celebrations in Derry. There is nothing of any
significance planned anywhere else.

"Across the north, there are significant opportunities
for events that could take place in conjunction with ‘The Gathering’ but it
would seem that NITB is blinded to opportunities that do not have a
specifically northern complex. I can only describe the lack of enthusiasm to
capitalise on the potential of ‘The Gathering’ as an example of the worst of
the border mentality. I am sure that this mentality and missed opportunities
are causing great frustration amongst tourism operators in many areas.

"It is clear that the lack of interest displayed to
date by the Tourism Minister is contributing to the negative attitude of NITB to
‘The Gathering’.

"The arguments on promoting the island of Ireland as a
single destination for tourists are overwhelming and it’s about time that NITB
realised that the greater number of tourists coming to the island of Ireland
arrive through southern entry points. It’s time NITB dismantled its border
mentality and start tapping into this market by participating wholeheartedly in
marketing ventures such as ‘The Gathering’.

"This attitude
is an example of the need to establish a genuine single tourism development and
promotional agency for the entire island of Ireland."